Adjustable rear sight.



Nu. 659,929. Patented Oct. l6, I900.

T. C. JOHNSON. ADJUSTABLE REAR SIGHT.

(Application filed Aug. 2, 1900.)

(No Modal.)

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

THOMAS C. JOHNSON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ADJUSTABLE REAR SIGHT.

S$PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659.929, dated October 16, 1900.

Application filed August 2, 1900. Serial No. 25,651- (No model.)

To 0/. whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. JOHNSON, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Adjustable Rear Sights for Guns, (Case 13;) and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the figures of reference marked thereon, to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a broken view, in side elevation, of a gun-barrel provided with my improved sight; Fig. 2, a corresponding view showing the elevator adjusted for elevating the sight; Fig. 3, a view in transverse section on the line a b of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a detached plan view of the sight proper and elevator; Fig. 5, a detached reverse plan view of the sight proper and elevator; Fig. 6, a view of the sight proper in rear elevation; Fig. 7, a detached plan view of the elevator.

This invention relates to an improvement in adjustable rear sights for guns, the object being to produce a simple, durable, and effective sight constructed with particular reference to convenience of operation by one hand, to compactness, and to the avoidance of scratching the barrel of the gun at a point to the rear of the horn of the sight proper.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a rear sight having certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown I employ an elevator adapted to be moved back and forth upon the top of the gun-barrel in a line parallel with the longitudinal axis thereof, this elevator comprising two finger-pieces 2 2, located at the opposite ends of a doubly-beveled retaining edge or web 3. The said elevator rides upon the upper edge of the barrel 4 and is located directly below the rear end of the spring-shank 5 of the sight proper, which also comprises the usual horn 6 and the dovetail rib 7, by means of which the shank is secured to the gun-barrel. The rear portion of the shank 5 is thickened for the formation in its under face of a series of doubly-beveled teeth 8, which are differentiated from each other in so far as they grow shallower from the rear to the forward end of the series. This differentiation in the depth of the teeth is made so that the tensional power of the spring upon the elevator will be equalized, whereby it will be practically no more difficult to move it in one position than in another, notwithstanding that the power of the spring will vary according to the amount it is elevated above the gun-barrel by the elevator. At the forward end of the series of teeth 8 I form a stopshoulder 9, which is engaged bya stop-shoulder 10, formed upon the retaining edge 3 of the elevator, which is thus prevented from being moved unduly forward. The undue rear movement of the elevator is prevented by a shoulder 11, formed upon the rear portion of the retaining edge 3 and engaging with the inner face of the heel of the horn 6 at the point 12.

It will be understood that by grasping the finger-pieces'Z 2 of the elevator by the fingers of one hand the user of the gun may very readily adjust the sight without using the otherhand to lift the sight proper through the medium of the horn thereof. As the sight requires the use of only one hand to operate it, it becomes very convenient. I would further point out that the elevator is located entirely forward of the horn of the sight proper. This makes the device Very compact and avoids the scratching of the upper face of the gun-barrel at a point in the rear of the horn 8, this being a matter of frequent occurrence in the common form of elevator used with the kind of sight proper shown and described herein.

I would have it understood that I'do not 7 limit myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an adjustable rear sight for guns, the too combination with a sight proper comprising a horn and a spring-shank, the lower face of which latter is formed with transversely-arranged teeth, of an elevator arranged to engage with the said teeth, and adapted to be moved back and forth for raising and lowering the horn of the sight proper.

2. In an adjustable rear sight for guns, the combination with a sight proper comprising a horn and a spring-shank, the lower face of a which latter is formed with transversely-arranged teeth, of a transversely-arranged elevator located beneath the said shank and comprising two finger-pieces and a retaining edge which joins the said finger-pieces and which engages with the teeth of the shank.

3. In an adjustable rear sight for guns, the combination with the sight proper comprising a horn and a spring-shank, the lower face of which latter is'formed with transverselyarranged teeth, of an elevator arranged to engage with the said teeth, and adapted to be moved back and forth for raising and lowering the horn of the sight proper and to be stopped at the limit of its forward and rearward excursions.

4:. In an adjustable rear sight for guns, the combination with a sight proper comprising a horn and a spring-shank, the lower face of which latter is formed with an inclined series of transversely-arranged teeth decreasing in depth from the rear to the forward end of the series; of a transversely-arranged elevator riding upon the upper edge of the gunbarrel, located beneath the toothed portion of the shank and comprising a retaining edge coacting with the said teeth, and two fingerpieces located at the ends of the said edge.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS C. JOHNSON.

lVitnesses D. H. VEADER, H. F. BEEBE. 

